8:IV:Wager
by Kaoz
Summary: Bets are bets anyway you look at them. So who's better? Just a little background on the boys and their new car buddy.
1. Is That

**Is that…**

**_North Dakota…_**

She couldn't hold it anymore not that she wanted to but somehow the idea of having them pull over and dashing behind a bush… No.

"Don't you need gas yet?" Jaden asked trying to peek over Dean's shoulder.

"Nope, still got half a tank." He replied. He sounded bored even though there was music playing and he had two passengers with which to talk to.

"Rest area?" Jaden demanded in a tight voice. She was starting to get more and more annoyed with the blond.

"Haven't seen a sign for one." Dean answered shifting in his seat until he found a more comfortable pose.

"Then find a bar." Jaden ordered, he seemed to be able to find one without any problem. She caught Dean's gaze in the rearview mirror and glared.

"Whatsa matter?" he questioned with a snicker. "You need a pee break?" he grinned. It was enough to start another argument and Sam had no escape unless he wanted to jump out of a moving car… No, he'd end up with broken bones, some scratches at the very least. Nope, he'd just have to suffer in silence for as long as it took to find a place to stop for the night because he wasn't going to sit through their argument the entire ride to Bobby's. No, Sam would make Dean stop at a hotel for the night.

**_North Dakota…_**

It was a glorified truck stop. The only reason it was dubbed that was the constant sight of semi's and big rigs pulling off the main highway to either get some sleep or beer. There wasn't that much out there aside from the empty parcel of flat land next to the run down bar, which was used as a glorified parking lot. Its other appeal was that you could see it from the highway and the exit was two miles from the bar.

It was his fourth time.

His usual route kept him in the west coast but after the last year he wasn't picky about where the company sent him. Driving the US highways gave him a lot of time to think, to remember everything he'd seen and heard… Nobody believed him. They thought he was too stressed and maybe he needed to take a break.

Ha!

Because people didn't just turn into flaming pyres, that wasn't plausible. He would've agreed, anytime before these past two years he would've agreed that was impossible.

_'But I know. I saw her.'_

That didn't change the fact he couldn't prove it and those lawyers had royally fucked him in the ass. It was all gone. Everything. He had nothing left, nothing he wanted, anyway. And why the hell did he still want her? He'd been happy to fuck around, didn't care one way or another if she knew he was fucking around… So why now?

_'Because she's happy.'_

But it wasn't just that. Yeah, she was happy. She had them all on her side and she was happy. He could see that. He could see she wasn't hung up on him anymore. There wasn't that longing in her eyes whenever he just 'happened' to drop in on her. Honestly, he'd always assumed she'd be there, just waiting on him...

"Reynoso, how long you been here, bud?"

The bloodshot eyes squinted and finally focused on the green checkered shirt and gray cap that took the stool next to his. He raised a half empty bottle of beer, eyes once more on the scarred bartop.

"Long enough to get sorta drunk." He replied.

"Half drunk?" there was laughter which grated on him but then a new- and more importantly- full bottle of beer was set down before him. "Drink up, bud. We'll see if we can't get all the way drunk today."

"You done with your load, Bear?" he had to wait for Bear to down half his beer before getting an answer.

"Yup." Bear let out a long belch. "Got a short haul this week. Aint due back for two more days. Figured I'd stick around, see if I cant get me some- whoa." Bear's head swiveled around, dark brown eyes following the short skirt heading into the ladies. "Now that one aint a regular."

Reynoso looked up and to the left where Bear had spotted the skirt. It was just like the older man, he somehow had a chic antenna that tuned into the –from a scale of 1 to10.

Everyone thought men weren't picky when it came to getting laid. If it had a 'loading dock' that's where they'd anchor their 'boat' but there were a few men who were too damn picky and Bear, though he didn't look it, was the pickiest son of a bitch Reynoso had ever met. There was that stupid movie Phade had loved to watch, the one with the blond bombshell in the pink dress covered in diamonds- damn she'd had a rack on her…

_'Gentlemen prefer blonds…'_

Well, Bear preferred the brunettes. It must've been his Indian blood but Reynoso had to admit the trucker tended to spot the rather exotic looking ones.

He eyed the skirt Bear was following, long black hair half pinned up threaded with blue patches. She turned and there was no mistaking the face. The fog of alcohol immediately dissipated but the brunette disappeared down the hall. The stool screeched on the wooden floor boards…

"Where ya goin', bud?" Bear asked watching the younger man stumble off his stool.

**_Parking lot…_**

It was dusty, not many cars aside from the Impala though there were plenty of semis and big rigs. The bar looked run down, something the Winchester's would've felt comfortable walking into. There was no danger of bumping into law enforcement there and that was always a plus these days.

Sam followed Dean out of the car and stretched his legs. The highway wasn't all that busy and scanning their 'parking lot' he counted 9 rigs hauling a load plus another 5 all by themselves. Dusty and dirt smeared trucks or 4x4's were scattered about the flat plot. Sam faced the bar again, his mind wandering back to the conversation he needed to have with Dean. He frowned. It was the same conversation he'd been having with his brother since… since she showed up again all memory-less and 'vulnerable' according to Dean.

Sam made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat and Dean started towards the bar. He knew his little brother, too well and the fact he hadn't said anything about the 'sleeping arrangements' was making Dean uncomfortable. Silence was never good especially when Sammy had bee very clear about what a 'mistake' Dean was making, ignoring his deal and the lack of time.

"Dean." Sam called to his back, his sneakers sending puffs of dust around his feet.

"I need a beer." Dean called back and headed up the stairs into the darkened interior of the bar.

**_Inside…_**

The door banged shut behind her; a second later a dark shadow followed her down the hall. She was a foot away from the noisy and well lit bar. As it turned out, that was too far for Jaden to avoid the trouble at her back.

"Ow!" Jaden flinched from the tight grip on her bicep. She glared up at the beard and blood shot eyes of some trucker as he pulled her around to face him. "What's you're deal, psycho?" she tried pulling out of his hold only to have him yank her closer. She could smell the stink of alcohol on his breath and tried not to breathe it in.

"Quien te crees?" he snarled looking her over and still trying to put this new face with the more familiar one. He'd always know Phade had a rather peculiar side, one more often than not kept hidden away until she was given an opportunity to flaunt her weirdness.

One hand fumbled with the lapel of her black army jacket which she quickly smacked out of the way.

"Bitch, let go!" Jaden ordered pushing away from the drunk and his roving hands. The last thing she needed was some pervy drunk trying to cop a feel in a smoky hallway of some out of the way piss poor excuse for a bar. Anger was her first reaction though it quickly gave way to a little bit of alarm. The hand on her arm tightened considerably but she refused to make a sound and bit her lip.

"Que putos haces aqui?" he demanded getting in her face. Because hadn't they taken everything and given it to her? Hadn't they said he was unfit, irresponsible and had no business raising a child? Everything. They repeated everything he'd ever said to her and then some. And now he couldn't find that lawyer lady who'd approached him in the first place.

"Que te importa, imbecil." Jaden retorted gripping his hand with hers and trying to pry his fingers off her bicep. His grip only tightened and the slight sense of alarm rapidly grew to fear.

None of his business… yeah, those lawyers pretty much said that too. It was none of his business, what ever she decided to do he had no say in the matter and he was lucky. Lucky she didn't take his balls…

"Let go!" Jaden squeaked in fright. The blood shot eyes bore into hers and she wondered… demons? "Christo." The whispered word didn't even register in the drunken brain. He grabbed both arms and held her, his face inches from hers and the foul breath made her eyes water.

"Para eso lo querias?" he demanded. He shook her again causing her to grit her teeth. "Para dejarlo con aquel?" he insisted because what the hell was she doing out in the middle of nowhere North Dakota? What the hell was so important she'd leave him behind? Unless she was working… That thought brought up memories he'd rather have forgotten. "What the fuck…"

"I'm not telling you again!" Jaden warned struggling to pull herself free and keep the fear from her voice.

"-playing games. You fucking take-."

"-Estas loco!" Jaden yelled pushing against him as her leg came up. It wasn't perfect but he doubled over anyway. She yanked one arm out of his grip and let him have it, not a good punch but enough to make him let go. Jaden took a few steps away from the drunken trucker and looked around the bar. They'd ended up just inside the main room drawing attention from every corner with their yelling. She turned around forcing her breathing to even out and looked for the door, feeling oddly detached. She should've been angry. Should've wanted to hurt the drunk some more… instead there was a nagging worry at the back of her mind. There was something wrong but she couldn't see it, couldn't figure out what that was …

Jaden noticed another trucker, dark skinned with straight black hair set in a medium length braid, as he got up from the bar. Time was moving slow, words were hollow sounds she couldn't make out and behind the trucker stood Dean. Again, he was scowling, green eyes flashing and Jaden knew he was going to start another lecture on her careless ness she wasn't in the mood to sit through. What was she, 12?

Dean started towards her with Sam at his back, he'd just ordered their beers and now they were going to have to leave. This time Jaden couldn't blame it on him, this time Dean had nothing to do with her starting a fight. That was going to be his first question; why was she starting fights in bars?

_'You're rubbing off on her, that's why.'_

Jaden felt something snag her hair; both hands came up too late to stop from having her head yanked back. She yelped, more surprised than hurt and dug her fingernails into the hand at her head. She tried an elbow strike and missed because he was too tall. Her elbow bounced off his chest and somehow ended up facing the drunken perv from the bathroom hallway.

"Hard headed, son of a bitc-." Jaden's cheek stung, a dull throbbing numbed her lip. She looked up as Sam punched the drunk perv and it pissed her off. Behind him, Dean took on the other trucker and then the entire bar was up in a roar. All because of that stupid drunk…

Jaden got to her feet, ignored the slight wobble in her legs and grabbed a half empty beer bottle from a table she passed. Why was it they all thought she couldn't take care of herself? Why did they all have to act like she needed rescuing? Why couldn't they leave her alone? Why?

It didn't matter, demons or human… Were all men programmed that way? She knew her brothers were and Timmy but they were all family. It was sort of expected they would stick up for her, so what about Jack and Garth? Both men behaved worse than any brother, worried more than an overbearing parent and were just a nuisance…

Jaden swung the bottle on someone's head harshly shoving them out of her way. She wasn't letting Dean have all the fun. No way, that nasty drunken perv picked a fight with her and she was going to finish the fight and Sam had better get out of her way.

Dean turned right into someone's fist. He reeled back, bumping into someone else only to get punched again. He grabbed at the closest body and started punching, clearing a little space for himself. Sam was close, clearly busy knocking the daylights out of Jaden's attacker. Dean spared a satisfied smirk in their direction before searching for her.

Jaden absently wondered if all bull riders got the same world-spinning-in-all-directions feeling whenever they got on a bull. She'd always wanted to ride one, had tried to convince her brothers to let her try the wild horses but it was always the same answer; no and all because she was a girl. Too delicate, easily bruised and all that krap she couldn't have cared less about.

It was a bad idea. She knew it was as soon as she did it. Jumping on the big oafs back, like she didn't know any better. You never wanted to fight on the floor and you never wanted your feet to leave solid ground. Never.

Never-never-never-never-.

Her arms were too short, she wasn't strong enough to try the choke hold either and the trucker wasn't as drunk as she'd first thought. Why she'd thought it was smart to hit him with the second beer bottle was beyond her knowledge. It had just felt good at the time. Now…?

Jaden felt her body swing over the trucker; she had no clue which way was up, not until her ass and back came down on the edge of the pool table. She reached, tried to grab at something to keep herself from falling but her feet swung down propelling her upper body forward. Jaden sucked in a breath, felt the flaring pain in her back and hips, saw the chipped red table top rush at her face and then she lay on the floor with broken glass chiming like tiny little bells in her head.

Oops…

Dean pushed his way to the pool table, caught a glimpse of Sam knocking two trucker's heads together and filed that fleeting smirk on his little brothers face away to think on later, when he was sure Jaden was still alive. He reached her side, ducking when he heard the shot gun blast. With one hand on her shoulder Dean chanced a glance around the pool table looking for his little brother.

"Get the hell outta my bar! You God damn sons of bitches! If it aint one drunk it's another now get the hell up and out! Move it!"

Dean spotted the unlikely shot gun wielding bar owner, a skinny old lady with salt & pepper hair pulled up in a bun. She stood at the far end of the bar, the shot gun in hand and glared at the truckers shuffling their way out.

"What the hell are you doing there?" she demanded of a younger man. "Aint payin' you to watch, JoJo. Get these fools out of my bar before I fill 'em with buck shot. You!" she jabbed the shot gun towards a clump of men who ducked for cover and earned an exasperated glare. "I seen 'im! Don't you dare hide the son of a bitch!" she warned and Dean wondered who the hell she was talking about.

"I oughta fill 'im with buck shot. Get that sorry excuse for a man outta my bar, JoJo! Boy, get a move on 'less you want some lead in your ass too!" she warned striding out from behind the bar.

"Where is he?" Jaden hissed turning onto her side and gritting her teeth against the pain in her hips. Walking wasn't going to be fun and getting on her feet would be a lot harder to do but she had no one to blame for the pain other than herself. How many times had she been told to keep her feet on the ground in a fight and avoid going down?

"Can you get up?" Dean asked, his concern was noted but Jaden didn't want it, she didn't want his help either.

"I'm fine." She lied shoving off the wooden floor and biting her tongue. Dean watched her stop halfway, shook his head at her stubbornness and easily slid his arm around her waist.

"Que yo puedo sola." Jaden snapped, sucking in a sharp breath as Dean stood her on her feet. Her knees bent and she clutched at the pool table. Jaden shut her eyes and tried to breathe past the throbbing pain in her waist and back,

"Reynoso! Wake the fuck up, man."

Jaden turned her head, saw the same dark haired trucker from the bar yank the pervy drunk up right but it wasn't helping any. He was more likely out cold, had it been Sam to deliver the KO?

"Dante, man you're not light." Again, he tried shaking the younger man awake but Jaden couldn't take her eyes from the slack face. Recognition dawned slowly, slightly doubtful this was the same Dante she'd had the misfortune of dating back in her other life, the one called high school.

Dean helped her shuffle along towards the door, which she hardly noticed. Her eyes kept trying to pick out familiar features but it was difficult, it had been more than ten years and she'd done her best to erase any memory of his from her mind.

Dean jerked his head at Sam, noting the hard eyed glare from the trucker trying to lift his drunk buddy. The old lady was at his side jabbing the end of the shotgun into his ribs with JoJo standing right beside the irritated old lady.

"You get that piece of shit out of my bar and I better not see either of you again. I aint serving no women beaters in my bar. You hear me JoJo? Aint wanna see either of 'em again. I catch these sacks of shit in my bar and you're ass will be on the receivin' end of this here gun! Go on! Get up you drunk mother fucker- quit plain' possum!" she kicked him.

Dean couldn't help be amused by the old woman, what wasn't so amusing was finding Jaden in a bar fight. Sam held the door open for them, watching the rest of the show inside before following Dean and Jaden to the Impala.

"Thought you were going to use the restroom, J." Dean said leading her down the steps and into the parking lot. He tried not to sound half as upset as he really felt because that would only start another fight, and hadn't they had enough of those for one day? Sam would think so.

"Did use it." Jaden bit out ignoring the silent question. She wasn't sure what the hell her drunken ex had been raging about but she wasn't going to admit having dated-_that_-. Ever, not to Dean, not to anyone. Ever.

"And..."

"Don't have to use it now." Jaden said through clenched teeth.

"Right," Dean nodded. "What was that about bars and fights you've been saying?" he questioned helping her slide into the back seat.

"Shut up." Clearly Jaden didn't find his questions amusing. He couldn't see her glaring at him from her position in the back seat as he closed the door.

"Cant blame me for this-." he started to say opening his door and sliding into the drivers seat.

"Shut up!" Jaden yelled half rising from the seat and biting back a pained groan as her back flared.

"Dean." Sam warned glancing over his shoulder at Jaden's pale face and clenched jaw. The only color in her face were the bright streaks on her cheeks.

"Hey, I didn't start-." Dean turned to Sam in defense.

"It's your fault!" Jaden yelled, she smacked the back of his seat with a fist for emphasis and winced for her trouble.

"How's this my fault?" Dean demanded twisting around in the driver's seat.

"It's always your fault!" Jaden snapped slightly sitting up in the back. "You're always getting in trouble! You're like- some- like-." Jaden closed her eyes and let out a frustrated scream.

"Oh that makes perfect sense." Dean retorted sarcastically. He turned the key listening to the purr of his baby but even that didn't ease up his annoyance.

"Both of you just shut up!" Sam snapped glaring at them both.

"I didn't go in the damn place!" Dean retorted with a finger jab at the bar now fading into the background as he drove back onto the highway.

"I'm tired of this arguing. Both of you!" Sam glared at them. He was tired of them both, tired of Dean… "Just shut up!" he ordered facing forward again, he flipped on the radio and let George Thoroughgood belt out _Bad to the Bone_. Sam clenched his jaw, refused to make any comment and just stared out the windshield. He ignored Dean's side glances and when Jaden nudged the back of the seat he tried really hard not to hear her ask his bother what had crawled up his butt.

Dean stifled his laughter glancing in Sam's direction before shrugging. He glanced into the rearview mirror unable to wipe off the huge grin on his face at her question. Dean hoped this meant Jaden was starting to thaw towards Sammy. He found it a bit strange she wasn't half as nice to him as she'd been in LA because Jaden had obviously enjoyed Sam's company more than his.

"Not sure I want to know." He replied. Sam closed his eyes and strove for patience…

**w**


	2. Don't bother me

**Don't bother me…**

**_US Highway 281…_**

_She flinched. Yes, flinched but that was a normal reaction to hearing that sound. The sound that completely took her by surprise so she flinched. The vampire behind her ashed but flannel shirt swiped his long nails across her face and neck. She turned with the blow trying to keep him from cutting anything vital. She heard another shot and then flannel shirt grabbed her shoulder pulling her in front of him. Her back burned and she would've fallen had flannel shirt not been holding her up. Then again he did bite into her neck, something she wasn't about to let him get away with. The wooden stake was still in her hand which she gripped harder and though her shoulder felt like it was coated in lava she shoved the stake into flannel shirts under arm, straight to the heart._

Jaden was startled awake; she swiped at her face as though to disperse the cloud of ash the vampire had left behind. There was nothing there, nothing in her face, no ash or musty smell of death and decay but it had felt so real. Jaden reached up to her neck, ran her fingers lightly over smooth skin, knew there was no scar or mark but the dream… She couldn't shake the feeling it was more than just some dream.

Jaden tried to remember what else she'd seen, where she'd been but it was getting hazy. She knew it had been night or somewhere between night and dawn when the world was cast into a gray haze. It had been cold; absently reaching up Jaden rubbed her arms still trying to remember more.

'_Do vampires ash?'_ she wondered. As far as Jaden knew you had to use dead man's blood to weaken them, then you chopped off their heads and burning their corpse was another option but shoving a stake in their chest? Where did she get that idea from, another movie? Yes!

Yes, that's where all the weirdness was coming from, watching too many movies, being on the road, hardly sleeping or not getting a good nights sleep. That was where all the freaky, weird and disturbing dreams were coming from.

She settled down again, put the headphones on and scrolled through her list clicking on a sad rock song she'd loved from the very fist time she heard it play.

_"…Carry on my wayward son… There'll be peace when you are done…"_

Dean frowned, glanced at the radio but his tape was playing. Again he heard the husky voice, the melody and the words.

_"… Lay you're weary head to rest… Don't you cry no more… Hmm…mmm…"_

Dean felt a sense of quiet surround him and then the sapphire eyes flashed in his mind. He could almost feel the same sense of peace the mermaid had evoked in the cavern, feel her longing…

Dean jerked around, looked over his shoulder to see if there was a blue skinned mermaid laid out in his back seat.

Sam lunged at the steering wheel calling his brothers name as the Impala swerved out of the main road. A cloud of dust rose up behind them and Jaden sat up yanking the headphones from her ears in surprise.

"What the hell!" she exclaimed as Dean took control once more. Her jerked them back onto the highway tossing Jaden into her corner.

He was scowling out the windshield flicking a green eyed glare into the rearview mirror.

_'Like it's my fault!'_ Jaden thought, annoyed.

"Where the hell did you get your license? A cracker jack box?" she snapped.

"Stop it." Sam ordered. "What? Did you see something?"

"Puto, a mi no me callas-." Jaden exclaimed.

"What, Dean?" Sam ignored her, tuned out her insult however much he wanted to respond in kind.

"Nothing." Dean snapped unable to shake the feelings brought up by the mermaid-. The song.

How did a creature like that, in _that_ place, know those lyrics? How did it know any lyrics at all?

"Dean-."

"I'm fine!" he snapped gripping the steering wheel tighter.

"If driving us off the road is fine then you're fucking great." Jaden retorted from the back seat. "Did you swerve to avoid a fluffy white bunny, Dean?" sarcasm coated every word. Dean's glare didn't affect her either though she didn't say anything else.

"Dean." Sam tried again, gripping his brother's arm he finally got him to look over.

"I'm fine, Sammy." The words did little to alleviate the worry in his little brother's eyes but at least Sam stopped asking questions. Jaden kept quiet, sitting in her corner behind Dean, for a while watching the passing scenery and the road in front. She didn't lie down again, even when her back started aching. Her temper was getting out of control. Her reactions to Sam- but he was evil. She kept telling herself that, reminding herself it was his fault Esmy was still suffering that demon. He'd helped Ruby and the bitch was wearing her friend.

_'It's why I'm riding with them.'_

She knew there was more to it but refused to think about her other reasons. The only one that mattered, the only reason she should have was getting Ruby- setting Esmy free even if it meant killing her. And the Boy King… she couldn't forget about him.

_**US Highway 281, The Cactus Road Motel…**_

Finally. A hotel. A real bed. Her very own room and some privacy. There'd be a solid wall between herself and the Boy King…

Dean got out of the car and headed towards the office. He heard a second door open then close and glanced at his side where Jaden was keeping pace.

"What?" she questioned noticing his curious green eyes. "I'm getting a room."

"You tired of bunking with us?" Dean quipped though he felt a flash of disappointment knowing he'd be sleeping alone again. He held the door to the office open for her and followed her in.

"You hog the covers." Jaden said over her shoulder. The truth was she felt too comfortable sleeping next to him. She was liking it too much and found herself looking forward to the end of the day because he'd wrap his arms around her…

"I- what?" Dean couldn't believe her.

"The other one snores funky." Jaden added as she rang the bell on the counter. She forced her mind to focus on what her eyes picked out.

"Well, yeah." Dean conceded. He didn't think the sounds his little brother made qualified as snoring but there was no other category for it. "I don't hog the covers." He retorted as a red headed older woman appeared.

"Can I help you?" she asked standing at the counter and eyeing them suspiciously pursed her lips in a disapproving frown.

"Yes," Jaden said before Dean had a chance to annoy the receptionist. "I'd like a room."

"Fill this out." she handed Jaden a 4x5 card and eyed Dean, her lips still puckered in that disapproving frown.

"I'm going to need a room with two beds." He smiled taking a 4x5 card from the wrinkled old hag-hand! He tried a charming smile as he handed the credit card over and got a slightly arched eyebrow for his trouble. She inspected the credit card, glanced once more at Dean then her eyes went back to the card in her wrinkled fingers.

"Will this be together?"

"No."

"Yes."

Grumpy lady glared at them, impatiently waiting for them to make up their minds. Jaden's frown mirrored Dean's.

"No. I'm paying for mine on this card, Ma'am." Sliding her card across the counter along with her own credit card Jaden tried a smile. Grumpy lady made some sort of noise in her throat but said nothing. Ten minutes later Jaden walked out of the hotel office ahead of Dean with her room key in hand. She didn't say a word to either of them as she waited for Dean to open the trunk. It was late afternoon and as far as she was concerned the brothers could do whatever the hell they wanted. _She_ was going to soak in a long, hot bath and get some _real_ sleep.

_**Morning…**_

_"What's_ _going on? Tash?"_

_She'd heard that voice before but couldn't remember where._

_"She's disoriented and violent. Look at this mess." The woman complained._

_Phade raised her head and tried really hard to focus on them. "I can hear you and when I find out who stuck me with a needle I'll return the favor." She threatened with a raspy voice._

The insistent banging on her door registered but Jaden tried to ignore it. She rolled over yanking the covers over her head and stuffed the pillow around her ears. That muffled most of the sound and Jaden began to doze off again.

_"You want to know what a Slayer is." She said with a shake of her head. "Basically she's a girl chosen to kill vampires."_

_"A who to do what?" he asked. Phade could tell this was going to be one of those questions._

_"A girl. She kills vampires." Phade made a staking motion, her tone and expression implied a 'duh'._

_"Who chooses and how do they know who to choose?" he asked sitting back in the booth and ignoring her slur._

_"Maybe I should give a little background info." Phade sighed wondering how long this was going to take. Slayers weren't her forte nor her favorite subject._

_"In every generation there is a chosen one. One girl in all the world to slay the demons until she dies. Then another is chosen and so on…" she trailed off thinking it sucked to know that once you were called you were pretty much dead. Phade shook her head feeling sorry for Buffy all over again. She wondered if maybe she should just go to Sunnydale and beat on the baddies there since she pretty much had no reason to stay in L.A. _

_"Who made that rule?" Ryan asked her. He looked kind of offended and wondered if he, like she, thought the rule was bull shit._

_"The Watcher's Council." Phade replied holding up her hand to stop the next question. "Before you ask, I'm not sure who or what they are. I just know they are in charge of the potentials. Slayers in training. They keep an eye on every Slayer there's ever been and record everything." _

Again, the banging was louder and it finally dragged her from the bed still needing more sleep and furious with the interruption. This time the dreams hadn't been half so weird and she was learning something… something… she scowled unable to remember what she'd been talking about in the dream.

Who had she been talking to?

"You had better be near death or you will be." Jaden threatened huskily. Yanking her door open the blazing sun temporarily blinded her. She raised a hand to cover her eyes turning away from the door and the sun and whoever was responsible for her near blindness with a pained groan.

"Threatening already?" Dean quipped walking into her room and closing the door behind him. He took another look at Jaden noting the mess of hair hapzardly pulled into a ponytail, her little red shorts and the black tank and couldn't help his grin.

"It's a promise." Jaden snapped returning to her bed and the tangle of covers. "Whatayawant?" she muttered sinking into the pillow. She wished he'd go away and just let her sleep, let her get some rest because she was feeling seriously drained and that was weird, wasn't it? She hadn't been doing much, nothing that explained her sudden fatigue. Riding in the back seat with the Winchester's hardly qualified as a tiring activity but then no one else had been forced to suffer their presence in enclosed quarters.

"Time for breakfast, J." Dean said striding over to the bed. "Come on. I'm hungry." He demanded leaning over her. His eyes traveled over her face, a soft smile grazing his lips as he watched her try and sleep.

"Mmhhm." Jaden hoped that was enough of a response for him to leave her alone.

"Are you feeling alright?" Dean questioned now frowning slightly. He smoothed his hand over her cheek but she didn't feel overly warm to him. He cupped her neck feeling the steady beat of her pulse then slid his fingers along her jaw. Feeling playful he wiggled his fingers between her neck and shoulder. Jaden shifted, jerking her head away from him with a grumbled curse. Dean repeated the motion with the same results and grinned. At the third attempt Jaden had had enough.

"Deja dormir, fregado!" Jaden half rose from the pillow and shoved him away. She yanked the covers over her head clearly indicating the end of the conversation.

"Jaden." Dean demanded glaring down at the lump in the bed no longer amused and feeling hunger twisting his guts.

_"Let me sleep!"_ was the muffled reply followed by a flailing arm meant to smack him only Dean was safely standing beside the bed.

"You've been sleeping since yesterday afternoon, Jaden. Come on. Get up and lets go." He yanked the covers from her completely unprepared for the little furie rising from the bed after them.

"Fucking- entiende baboso!" Jaden swung her pillow hitting Dean in the face. The unexpected blow made him stumble, giving Jaden the opportunity to get her covers back. She smacked him again with the pillow for good measure then hurried into the bathroom with her pillow and the coverlet.

Dean heard the door close behind her and looked around the room in surprise. She'd just- he couldn't believe she'd- what the hell?

"Jaden!" he pushed himself out of the chair she'd knocked him into and headed to the bathroom door. He raised a fist to bang on it when her voice floated past the wooden barrier.

_"I swear to God! If you bang on this door, Dean Winchester…there aren't words to describe the pain and humiliation I will rain down on your blond head!"_

Dean tried not to laugh at her threats because he didn't want to piss her off anymore than she was. He had an idea of the humiliation she'd impart all over again if he kept bugging her. She was dangerous in diners.

"Fine." He said turning away from the door. "Don't complain when you're starving and I don't pull over. We're leaving in a couple of hours, J." he warned and listened for a response. "Jaden?"

_"I heard you God damn it!"_ she yelled through the door. Dean laughed, suddenly in a good mood and closed the door behind him. He wondered if she really was curled up in the tub trying to sleep…

Sam glanced behind Dean as he came down the stairs wondering where Jaden could be and then noticed the grin on his brother's face. He frowned and glanced behind Dean again but there was no Jaden on his heels.

"What?" Sam questioned eyeing his brother as if he'd grown a third eye.

"What, what Sammy?" Dean asked walking past him to the Impala. "I'm starving here, dude. Lets go." He called sliding into the driver's seat and listening to the purr of his baby as it started up. "Need some bacon…" he muttered as Sam closed the passenger door.

w


	3. Oh You are so on

**Oh, you are so on…**

**_Jamestown_****_, North Dakota_****_…_**

The argument had been going on for the last thirty miles, ever since they'd 'run' out of that blow hole styled after a bar. Sam was getting a headache listening to them.

"You don't know how to stay out of trouble." She said glaring at Dean through rearview mirror. "What is it with you and Bars, huh?" she demanded. Again Sam tried to tune them out, tried to pick out the lyrics to the song playing on the radio but he couldn't hear it over their raised voices.

"I didn't start that fight." Dean stated completely in denial. Sam knew his brother well and though he hadn't thrown the first punch he'd pretty much asked for the fight.

"You were hustling the dude!" Jaden exclaimed. Sam nodded knowing she was right, they'd both watched Dean at the pool table.

"That's- I wasn't-." Dean stammered glaring back at her through the mirror.

"You were hustling, Dean. Every bar it's the same thing-."

"Not all-."

"I've been riding around with you two for two weeks and we've _run out _of 4 Bars!" she exclaimed holding up her hand. "This makes 5!"

"6." Sam couldn't help but to correct.

"Dude!" Dean glared at his little brother who offered an apologetic shrug.

"I don't get it." Jaden continued as if Sam had never interrupted their argument. "Why? What's the big? You like making them feel like fools?"

"It's not my fault they can't play and I don't see what you're getting mad about." Dean retorted while trying not to squirm in his seat because she was right. Hustling pool wasn't just a way to make some extra cash on the side, not for him. Dean liked the game, liked knowing he was better than the guy handing over his green backs.

"Oh, I'm not mad." Jaden said sitting back in her corner. "What _I am_ is tired of your dumbass getting caught-."

"Dumb-." Dean stiffened in his seat glancing over his shoulder at her. Sam sighed and rubbed a hand over his face.

"And then _we_ have to lend a hand-." She continued.

"What the hell-."

"Because you feel the need to make a few bucks." Jaden said over his half protests.

"Hey I earned this!" Dean exclaimed, offended by her remarks.

"Stole is more like it." She crossed her arms looking at him loftily through the mirror.

"I don't steal-." He denied through clenched teeth.

"Bite your tongue on that lie?" she asked sweetly. Sam screwed his eyes shut, trying to will their voices out of his head.

"Hey! My hustling feeds us, puts gas in my baby-."

"And causes more trouble than its worth." She snapped. Sam wanted to agree with her on that point. She was right about that too but saying that to Dean was paramount to committing treason.

"How much'd you make, blondie? What's this latest Bar brawl worth?" Jaden asked moving to lean on the seat between the brothers.

"What?" Dean hedged.

"Come on, you're always boasting 'bout how good you are, how much'd you get off the mensos who can't hold their beer. What's your take?" Jaden asked again wearing a smile Dean wasn't comfortable seeing on her face.

"Hotel." He practically breathed in relief at sight of the neon sign a mile ahead. He put his foot down on the gas hoping to get there sooner rather later.

"You got enough for that?" Jaden asked.

Sam couldn't wait to get out of the car and away from them. He _needed_ to get away from them, from the bickering and constant arguing.

_'They should hop in the sack and get it over with.'_ Sam thought. The miserable look on his face was testament to how much he _didn't_ like that solution. It was bad enough Dean had already- had his way- with Jaden, in _Kentucky_. He just couldn't handle them arguing but the idea of them being lovey-dovey with each other was sooo much worse.

Dean pulled into the parking lot quickly finding a parking spot.

"I'll get us rooms." He said getting out of the Impala.

"I'll go with you." Jaden said already half out of the car when Dean turned around.

"No."

"You can show me how much you got off them drunks." Jaden closed the door ignoring his protest.

"Sam…" it was the closest Sam had ever seen Dean to asking for help without actually asking.

"What'd you need him for?" Jaden questioned with a smirk.

"Sam." Dean said a little more forcefully.

"Just…" he shook his head and sighed. He really didn't want to get in the middle of their argument.

**w**

"Credit card." Jaden noted looking over his shoulder. "Guess you didn't make out all that great." She told him still with the God dammed smirk on her pretty face.

"Jaden." He warned through clenched teeth.

"Dean." She replied sweetly stepping in his way as he tried to walk out of the lobby.

"Liked it better when you're quiet." he snarled stepping around her quickly and heading for the door.

"You're not the only one. Now," she reached around and grabbed the wad of bills Dean had stuffed into his jacket pocket.

"Hey!" Dean made to grab the cash from her hand but Jaden sprinted into the parking lot. He gritted his teeth and ran after her grumbling about not being in the mood to play games. They weren't kids anymore and it was ridiculous-.

"Eighty-six?" Jaden stopped at the Impala and faced Dean. She held out the bills, her expression incredulous. She shook her hand with the bills taking a step towards him. "Eighty-six dollars?"

"What?" Sam echoed coming around the Impala to stand beside Jaden.

"You started a fight over eighty-six-." Jaden's voice rose an octave. "Pendejo-." She bit her lip and tried to take a calming breath. She really couldn't believe he'd _actually_ fought over so little…

"Eighty-six dollars, Dean?" Sam questioned. "Wha-." He shook his head still trying to voice his thoughts. He'd gotten punched over that measly amount! He felt bruises already forming and all for a measly eighty-six dollars?

"It was early!" Dean said in his defense looking from his brother to Jaden. The expressions on their faces went from incredulous disbelief to incredibly annoyed so fast he took a step back from the pair.

"I can make more!" Jaden yelled coming at him. "Aah!" she turned, threw her arms up in the air and let out another frustrated yell.

"Like hell-." Dean said taking a step towards her. She didn't protests as he snatched the wad of bills from her hand and stuffed them in his pocket again.

"What, cus I'm a girl?" she said spinning around to face him. "You think you're the better hustler?" she demanded walking towards him. "_I_ can make more in one weekend than you." She declared jabbing a finger in his chest.

"All I hear is talking but that's all it is, Jaden." He wasn't about to start apologizing for hustling. It was a skill he'd worked hard at to master, a skill that came in handy, that was valuable to him, that had fed him and Sam on the rare occasion John had taken a little too long to get back to them. So yeah. Dean hustled and he was damn good and he wasn't apologizing to anyone.

"Oh you are _so on_." Jaden breathed with a cold smile.

"Oh God." Sam groaned and hung his head. He hadn't thought it could get any worse than they already were but apparently Sam had no idea how much worse his brother and Jaden could get.

**w**

"If you're really going to do this then there should be rules." Dean insisted. Jaden laughed because apparently he'd made a joke.

Dean scowled.

"So you can break them." She tossed over her shoulder as they headed towards their rooms.

"So you don't cheat." He retorted feeling like a juvenile teen having a fight with his always-had-to-be-right girlfriend who always had to have the last word.

"El burro hablando de orejas." Jaden scoffed.

"I remember that." Dean warned and he did. He was sure it entailed a donkey or some other shit in that general area. "And I don't cheat." He said once more for the millionth time that evening. Jaden rolled her eyes and ignored the heavy sigh from the Boy King walking behind them.

"Its not my fault they cant keep their money-."

"Seriously?" Jaden whirled around bringing them to an abrupt halt. "Are you trying to convince me? Because that's a lost cause, Dean."

"I'm not- I don't have to convince you about anything." He retorted.

"Lie to yourself if it gets you through another day but don't expect me to buy your load of shit." Jaden warned heading once more to her room.

"Did you-." Dean stood for a second watching Jaden walk away from him. She'd pretty much glimpsed the truth of his current existence. Lying to himself, pretending he didn't know what was coming in a couple of months and going through the daily motions.

Sam was just as surprised Jaden had been so blunt and she was right but did she know it?

"Jaden." Dean started after the little brunette who wasn't aware how right she was in what she'd told him.

"Alright." She sighed, standing at her door. "You want rules, go on, make some rules." The expression on her face said she might not follow them either way.

"Time limit." Dean bit out. "How long are we going to drag out your humiliation?"

"Mine?" she scoffed dropping her bag on the ground in front of the door. "You hear the one about counting the chickens and the eggs?" He didn't say anything which only brought a smile to her lips. "Alright, Friday's about to start. I'll give you to midnight on Sunday, Dean." she emphasized. "I'm still going to make more, regardless." She added with a smirk.

"No way-." Dean scowled and looked her over. Her hair was pulled up and away from her face but it wouldn't be so hard for her to let it down, let it float about her face like some mysterious dark cloud… She was in another of her little skirts, a plaid school girl rip off, one you could easily picture her in with a skimpy white top and striped tie playing naughty school girl… His scowl deepened. "You got un-fair advantage." He snapped still looking her over.

"It's called a brain." Jaden retorted dryly. "And it's not my fault you don't use yours."

"Ha-ha, I meant your…" Dean looked her over again, partly admiring those _advantages_. "Your… female…advantage." He finished.

Sam dropped his head incredulous. Once again, his brother had put his foot in his mouth and he hadn't realized he was doing it. Jaden's sudden quiet made Dean shift uncomfortably from one foot to the other. He watched her eyes turn frosty and her smirk fade until her full lips were set in a line.

"I'm going to ignore the implication…" she said softly. "Ignore the fact you would _assume_ I'd resort to stripping to win this bet." Her voice took on a different sort of quiet. She took a step towards Dean who flinched at how quickly she'd gone from being mad to… to being… "Because I don't have to take off my clothes… Dean…"

Dean didn't want to think, he didn't want to rationalize or explain why it was happening. All Dean knew was that she was looking at him. Jaden's brown eyes were soft and looking into his. He wanted to reach up and touch her skin; he wanted to feel her warm lips, the little sigh she didn't realize she let out when he kissed her…

Sam watched her sidle up to his brother, she turned her big brown eyes up to him, tilted her head slightly and Dean absently leaned towards her, just a little but the fact that Jaden managed to get that much from Dean…

"All it takes…" she whispered dropping her eyes to his mouth. "Is a look…" she looked into the green eyes and smiled softly. "A smile…" her hand rested on his chest, her palm sliding slowly down the lapel of his jacket and Dean bent his head towards her.

Sam sucked in a frustrated breath and looked away. All he needed was for them to start making out in front of him. That would totally make his night; put this evening on a list of other unforgettably awful nights. He glared at them.

"And you are all easy to mess with." Jaden snapped. She pushed Dean away from her taking the wad of cash he'd stuffed into his pocket. "I'll even give you the advantage." She said grabbing her duffel from the ground. "An eighty-six dollar advantage." She opened her door shoving it out of her way. "_Sammy_ can be the judge."

Sam opened his mouth to protest but the door slammed shut leaving him with Dean. He glared at his brother who stood staring at the closed door. The green eyes were confused not that Sam could explain what had just happened. The only thing both brothers could agree on was that she'd just used that 'female advantage' Dean had accused her of using to cheat.

Jaden dropped her bag on the floor and scrunched her eyes shut. Both hands were fisted at her sides and all she wanted was to scream out her frustration.

_'What you _want_ is standing outside your door, you big liar.'_

Jaden snatched her bag off the floor and hurled it on the bed scowling. She knew why it was happening, why she was getting the strong urge to-.

"Son of a bitch!" Jaden hissed under her breath and headed for the bathroom. "Fucking, fuck, fucker-aaa!" she kicked the toilet seat in frustration. Luckily Jaden was wearing her boots, else there would have been more cursing and a little bit of pain.

**_Friday Morning…_**

Jaden started awake feeling more tired and frustrated with her lack of sleep. She looked around noticing their surroundings and let out a sigh of relief. Finally. She got a couple hours of _real _ sleep. The kind were she didn't have crazy vision dreams that left her feeling disoriented and more frustrated than she'd been the day before.

Dean had finally pulled over for the night, had put an end to their bickering which Jaden had no idea how they got started with in the first place. She tried to think how long they'd gone without some sort of argument but it was harder to do than Jaden knew it should be.

Why were they constantly arguing? Why did he have to annoy her all the time? Why was Dean such a child at times?

_'You're pointing the finger…_'

Jaden sighed and pulled the pillow over her face. She couldn't lay _all_ the blame on Dean. Most of it yes, practically _all _of it because he was just… he was so…

"Damn it!" Jaden wrapped her arms around the pillow and screamed into it. After a moment she tossed it aside and lay there looking at the white ceiling.

_'What am I doing?'_

She closed her eyes and waited for some disembodied voice to give her an answer, wished for it, almost begged the empty room for it and let out a pent up breath.

"What am I going to do about this?" she muttered. Spending too much time around Dean, that's what she was doing and needed to stop. He just-. Jaden frowned. She had to be wrong because nothing about Dean Winchester could possibly hint at some underlying sorrow, some deep-hidden pain… So why did she feel- why?

"Why? Jesus Christ _why,_ why?" Jaden whined getting up from the bed with a groan and heading into the bathroom. "He's not even that cute." She grumbled. All of a sudden she felt tired again. The bed was calling to her but she was determined to win the bet and rub it in his face. The truth was she'd always had a thing about guys with green eyes…

"Female advantage my ass."

**w**

Morning found the Winchester's alive and well, at least for another day. Sam's concern was his brother, his time was running out and they weren't doing anything to get him out of his contract. They had no idea were to look aside from asking every demon they encountered. Somehow it didn't seem like a good idea.

"We're wasting time." Sam repeated wearily as his brother walked out of the bathroom whistling.

"I'm proving her wrong, Sammy." He replied with a grin and a wink. Fully dressed and satisfied with his image in the mirror Dean grabbed his leather jacket off the back of the chair.

"We should be looking for the demon with your contract-." Sam glared at Dean's back, watching him fix the collar of their Dad's old coat.

"How about breakfast?" Dean cut in and ignored his little brother's look.

"Would you listen?" Sam demanded standing at the foot of his bed.

"Pancakes and a side of bacon-." Dean continued as if Sam hadn't been talking.

"Dean." But he wasn't listening anymore. He didn't want to and the only way to stop Sam was to walk out, to get away.

The hotel room door closed behind the blond only this time Sam didn't follow after him. He couldn't make him focus and the important things. Like finding the demon with his contract. It didn't matter how much Sam insisted, whether he pleaded or threatened. Dean was determined to see it through to the end, to the very last.

Sam placed the blame solely on _her_. The brown eyes narrowed on the far wall that separated her room from theirs. Anger burned deep in his chest fed by his fear of loosing the last of his family.

How?

How did she worm her way between them?

_'She's sleeping with him.'_

And why should he begrudge his brother the little bit of happiness he found with her? Why did it eat at his insides seeing them together?

**w**

Dean ate in silence sitting alone in a strange diner. The waitress, a pretty woman with cherry blond hair and pale brown eyes, kept passing his table, smiling whenever she could catch his eye, asking if everything was ok or topping off his cup. She was willing and pretty if a tad plain.

_'Because her eyes are too light. Her skin doesn't have that sun kissed glow… You're lusting after the woman.'_

But there was more to that story. He wasn't just lusting after her like a mindless beast. It wasn't enough to have her for a fling and that's exactly the kind of guy Dean Winchester knew himself to be. He hadn't ever really let himself be anything else.

Was he just growing up? Finally?

Was that the answer or was the lack of time his reason for wanting more? If it weren't for the deal would he care if Jaden gave him the time of day?

The truth was he'd avoided thinking of her since they went their separate ways. He'd tried to keep his mind from wandering too close to the memories of her.

There was one problem with that.

He had that picture Sam took. A picture of the life Dean wanted and hadn't let himself have.

**w**


	4. Day 1

**Day 1…**

**_Jamestown_****_, North Dakota_****_…_**

For her first day on the job search front Jaden wasn't having a good day. She'd already been turned away twice and they weren't even nice bars! That saying about the third time being the charm? Yeah that was a bunch of bull honky. The third bar was just a little better than the first two dives she walked into only the sleazy creep calling himself the owner tried to tell her there was a dress code. Jaden hadn't said a word until he held up a jumble of hot pink strings. When it was laid out on the bar top Jaden could see it was a non-existent 'bikini', something her Dad referred to as dental floss. Clearly it wasn't the place for her and the day was half gone already.

Winning the bet and lording it over Dean all hinged on her getting a job in one of the dives in town.

"Damit. There's gotta be _one_." Jaden muttered walking down the street. "I just need one." she looked both ways before crossing and heading around the corner.

In green paint above an old english styled pub entrance read **'****Hunters'**. She could see people walking into the busy bar, music floated out even though it was barely past noon. It just proved nothing stopped the drunks from getting a drink.

"Seriously." Jaden muttered glancing up at the sky but there was nothing up there for her. The guy upstairs wasn't looking out for her and hers; at least she didn't see it. Jaden blew out a breath and set her shoulders before walking into **'****Hunters'**.

Inside the music was louder than she had first assumed. The decor was all wood, very well taken care of, anyone with eyes could see the owner took pride in his establishmnet. There were pool tables set up on either side of the large room, long wooden tables were lined up sort of like a fence for the booths set into the walls. At her back the flash of lights caught her attention and turning Jaden found a large flat screen showing sports highlights.

"Sports Bar?" Jaden wondered.

_'I'm in a sports bar. Me.'_ And what was so bad about that? For one she couldn't stand the empty headed jocks long past their prime who insisted on re-living the glory days. Or the beatnecks who _thought_ they were sports aficionados and having to listen to them?

Jaden let out a disheartened groan but since her luck didn't seem to be changing she forged her way towards the bar. There she found the guy in charge, a large man with dark brown hair and blue-green eyes. At least 6' with a bulky build that had once been called athletic, this one had been a jock in his youth.

"Now it makes sense." She pasted a smile on her face switching into work mode with ease and watched him walk over to her side.

"I'm gonna have to see some ID before I serve you, unless you want a soda." He rumbled goodnaturedly.

"Do I really look underage?" Jaden asked pulling out her licence and handing it over.

"Yup." He grinned taking the small plastic. "Like a little girl in them clothes."

Jaden glanced at herself for once admitting the school girl skirt and her choice of t-shirt had been a draw back.

"Guess I should start to dress my age." Jaden sighed then shrugged the thought aside. "Looks busy around here." She commented taking her license back.

"Yeah, getting busier by the hour." He agreed looking at the crowd with a calculating eye.

"You wouldn't be short handed by any chance?" Jaden asked. "I'm looking for a job, nothing long term just the weekend."

"And why is that?" he asked eyeing the woman at his bar once more.

"The road calls." Jaden shrugged with a smile. "Ive got experience behind the bar, worked a month over in South Carolina. Busy place what with the univeristy and the hospital on either end of the street. Before that I tended for a couple of years in Michigan. I'm used to busy cocktail hours." Jaden assured.

"I don't have anything permanent anyway." He grabbed a beer from under the bar and handed it to the man at her side. "My regular bartender's out for a couple of days."

"Sounds fine with me." Jaden kept her smile in place watching the bartender making up his mind.

"Most of the customers are easy; beer or a bottle but this new crowd..." he looked around at the new faces.

"Mixing is my speacialty." Jaden replied drawing the blue-green eyes to hers again.

"Guess we'll see."

Jaden blinked, the only sign of her surprise.

"I'm Hunter, like the sign." He grinned at her arched eyebrow. "Come back at five. We close at three, maybe four if the crowd gets bigger."

"Great." Jaden hopped off her stool. "You don't have some sort of uniform..."

Hunter laughed and shook his head.

"No uniform here, Jaden."

"I'm obviously not the first he's tried to get into the pink thing." Jaden mused dryly.

"Its pink?" Hunter questioned. "Wonder what happened to the red one?"

"Red?" Jaden shook her head. "Never mind. I'll see you at five."

**w**

Dean lounged around in the room flipping through the channels but couldn't find anything worth watching. He considered surfing the net but didn't feel like getting off the bed so he stayed put. Across the room Sam was reading and trying not to think about his brother and the waste of time this little wager was costing him. Both heard the door slam closed and Dean slightly rose from his bed looking at the wall separating the rooms as if he could see her. He sat up swinging his legs over the side and waited. Sam wondered what his brother was thinking then decided it was better just to keep reading. He stuck his nose back in his book easily finding where he'd left off.

Ten minutes later Dean started to pace, each time drawing closer to the door. Sam was getting annoyed but he said nothing and finally his brother walked out.

Dean stopped in front of her door and paused. He could hear her moving around inside, her voice was muffled but he thought she was singing. He smirked and decided not to knock after all. He moved towards the Impala and sat prepared to wait for her to come out. Twenty minutes later her door swung open.

Dean was surprised by the woman stepping out of the room. The shiny satin dress was short and his eyes wandered over the bare legs frowning when he noticed the slit on either side of the skirt.

"You'll get wrinkles like that." Jaden teased. She closed her door and stood in front of him smiling. She held the leather jacket in her arms, a large bag slung over her shoulder.

"Where are you going?" the question was out before he realized how it sounded. Jaden arched an inky eyebrow, her eyes were lined in black with a dark shimmer over her eyelids. She'd put her hair up and stuck a white flower in it.

"Careful, people might think you're a jealous boyfriend." Jaden quipped flicking a lock of inky hair out of her eyes. "So were you planning on following me?" she moved to sit beside him before he had a chance to answer. She glanced at him through her lashes. "Because you're not very good at it."

"You're not driving this time." Dean retorted.

"That only makes it easier to give you the slip." Jaden grinned. She was having fun and he could see it. Her eyes shone bright with mischief.

"Is this your version of a Goth china doll?" Dean asked with a nod at her dress. Jaden glanced at herself and shrugged. She'd bought the dress on impulse, the bright cerulean color and tiny sliver and white clusters of flowers had caught her eye but what she'd liked the most were the delicate silver clasps that buttoned at her neck.

"I thought heels would be too fancy for a bar." Jaden quipped and impulsively raised her leg showing off her boot. "These are comfy." She tapped her heel on his shin with a grin.

"Not to mention one good kick in the right place is gonna hurt like hell." Dean added feeling the weight.

"Maybe you're not that kind of blond after all." Jaden teased. For once they didn't start arguing and laughed. On impulse Jaden leaned over and touched her lips to his. She jumped to her feet almost immediately. "That's for luck."

She waved over her shoulder heading trough the parking lot as Dean watched her go.

"Luck?" he wondered with a frown. He got up to follow her and remembered the cell phone. He wondered if she'd left it in her room but checking the GPS he found the little marker on the move. "Luck has nothing to do with it."

**w**

Dean found himself a bar with plenty of dumb drunks sloppily playing at a pool table. He grinned and sauntered in, ordered himself a beer and studied his 'competition'.

Sam had opted to stay behind not that Dean minded because all his little brother would be doing was sulking or casting disapproving frowns at him. He wasn't in the mood for 'Saint Sam' and he definitely didn't want to have the conversation his little brother was intent on bringing up when ever they were alone.

Dean smiled because that didn't happen to often since Jaden decided to ride with them. Then he wondered about the kiss. She'd been flirting with him. He knew it and she had to know because she'd been the one flirting in the first place. Dean didn't mind though, he actually liked the easy flow between them in those minutes before she left.

He'd swing around the bar and check on her, just to make sure there were no demons lying in wait ready to ambush her again.

"Another beer, handsome?"

Dean turned his charm on the girl slipping behind the bar.

**w**

It was nearly six in the morning as Jaden trudged back to the hotel slightly cold and pleasantly tired. Her first night tending bar since _Charlottesville_ hadn't been bad. If anything she'd had fun, introduced some of the regulars to 'fancy concoctions' and made out better than Dean's 86 dollars, in tips. She yawned and her eyes watered. Stretching her arms over her head she felt her back ease just a bit. Her eyes searched for the familiar black car and found the Impala parked two spots from where it had been when she left.

Jaden grinned, pleased to see the blond had come back before she had which meant she'd had more time to rake in the cash. She thought of her impulsive kiss, her hasty escape and the flirting... because she'd definitely been flirting with Dean.

"What's going on with me?" Jaden muttered opening her door and resolutely leaving all thoughts of Dean and the kiss _outside_.

**w**

Sam woke first not that he expected Dean to get up before noon since he'd been out most of the night hustling for cash to win his bet with Jaden. He scowled and headed to the bathroom. It was stupid really, the way they both behaved. And Sam couldn't lay the blame on one of them because they both tended to pick and antagonize each other in equal amounts. It was like being in grade school all over again.

**w**


	5. Day2

**Day 2…**

**_Saturday…_**

Dean waited until he heard Jaden leave, gave her ten minutes and then walked out of his room. He glanced over his shoulder both hands deftly picking the lock. In less than five seconds Dean was slipping into her room. He closed the door behind him and faced the room, his brow furrowed as he surveyed the neatly made bed.

"Where…" Dean walked towards the dresser and opened the first drawer. He was surprised to find she'd actually unpacked her clothes. Sifting through the drawer he came up with a lacy bundle, stretching it between his fingers Dean arched an eyebrow at the camisole. "She wasn't wearing this in _Kentucky_." He muttered, put it back in the drawer and closed it. Dean saw his frown reflected in the mirror and behind him was the bed.

"Under the mattress?" he wondered out loud moving towards it. He picked the first corner and raised it up sliding his hand between the mattresses and felt the sheet of paper as it crinkled.

His brow furrowed but he pulled it out. The same feminine script from her journal stared back at him in black ink.

_Try the next corner._

Dean scowled. He rose quickly and looked at the door but there was no sound coming from the other side. Grumbling under his breath Dean yanked the other corner of the bed and found another sheet waiting for him.

_Seriously – Move on. You have one corner left._

"Fucking playing…!" he dropped the mattress wondering how the hell she knew he would sneak in to her room. Was she capable of doing that mind reading thing without her magic runes? It was a sobering thought and it wasn't as if she would tell them if she was able to do it.

Dean stuck his hand under the last corner and came away with another note.

_Getting warm…_

Dean looked around the room again wondering where she would stash her loose cash frowning at the notes in his hand. How close was he to her hiding spot?

The bathroom door was half open and he wondered if maybe…

"She wouldn't…" but Dean walked into the bathroom anyway. It wouldn't hurt to look around only there was nothing in there. He was surprised to see the bathroom neat and clean as if the maid had come in. Dean stood facing the toilet, head slightly tilted as he thought over how plausible it would be for Jaden to have stuffed her cash in the tank. With a grimace Dean lifted the cover setting it aside.

There was a plastic Ziploc bag floating on the water, the same feminine script mocked him.

_Nope, you're cold again. Wanna give up?_

The question was enough to make him reach in and grab the bag. It crumpled in his fist spilling water over his shoes. After a deep breath Dean decided he could play her game and he could do it better. So he smoothed the note frowning a he noticed some squiggles on the back. He turned the bag over and scowled at the smiley face she drew on the paper complete with a tongue and winking eye.

Dean set the bag in the tank again and put the lid in place. He walked back into her room passing the little corner that was supposed to be a closet. The blue shimmer caught his eye and stopping he reached a hand to the silky material. His fingers trailed over the length of her china doll dress remembering her flirty kiss on the hood of his car the day before. It was enough to put a smile on his face which only lasted until he reached the door and found the last note stuck to the peep hole.

_You know, it's sad you'd drop so low._

_Sneaking in, going through my stuff…_

_I still made more than you._

_Ask Sammy._

That note crumpled in his hand. He slammed the door behind him intent on finding his little brother and demanding an answer because since when did Jaden talk to Sam? She was adamant he was evil, avoided or tried to avoid Sam like he had the plague.

Dean hadn't gone more than two steps when Sam called his name. Dean turned around and glared at his little brother who was glancing from Jaden's door to him.

"Did you just-?" Sam pointed to the door his brother had obviously just closed. Dean shoved the note in his face making Sam draw away. He took the sheet from Dean's hand frowning at the print of red lips on the corner.

"You went into her room?" Sam questioned in his most disapproving tone.

"How much?" Dean demanded ignoring the question.

"Wh- Dean, I don't know." Sam shoved the note back at his brother.

"Sam." Dean warned. He had a note that said his brother would know. If he didn't know how much she had made so far why would she write it?

"I don't! She hasn't told me anything." Sam denied.

**w**

It was another 4am closing not that she minded since it only got her further ahead of Dean and his insufferable gloating. She was going to enjoy knocking him down a notch but doubted it would last long.

"He's just too cocky." Jaden muttered. She pulled her jacket closed looking at her surroundings and wondering if Dean were hiding somewhere, keeping an eye on her like some guard do-.

Jaden bit her lip and hurried her pace as if that would rid her of the memories of Roque that came unbidden. Her eyes watered as she remembered the first day Roque had tumbled out of his box and into her lap. He was fat and sleepy and the laziest mutt she'd ever laid eyes on but he snuggled right into her lap with a yawn. The first time she saw his eyes it was a surprise because they were gray-blue.

"Pretty boy." And he was.

The motel came into sight all watery due to the unshed tears. Jaden hurried across the street and through the parking lot not bothering to search out the Impala. She wiped a hand over her eyes and managed to open the door. Inside she pulled off her boots letting them fall beside the table.

"No crocodile tears." Jaden told herself and headed to the 'closet'. She took down her dresses and laid them over the bed. Her eyes snagged on the un-even mattress and frowned then realized Dean had finally snuck in. Jaden had thought he'd come in sooner but… She laughed softly and checked the corner but her note wasn't there anymore. Checking the bed she found all three notes were gone and had another laugh.

Her eyes wandered over to the bathroom but she didn't think he'd actually looked in there, still… Jaden walked in, noticed the toilet paper had water marks and grinned.

"He didn't." Still, she lifted the top off the tank and almost dropped it when she laughed. "He so did!" The sheet was crumpled; the little thread she'd left on the corner was gone so she _knew_ someone had taken it out. Still laughing Jaden replaced the lid and walked back into the room pulling the rest of her clothes out of the little cubby supposedly a closet. Then she reached up and forced the pole out of its cradles being careful the string didn't slide in. Jaden pulled slowly until the rolled Ziploc bag poked out of the pole. She took the corner and yanked it out smiling at the mental picture she had of Dean going through her room.

"Menso." She chuckled and added the roll of bills from her second night to the roll for the night before. "Beat this, white boy. Its more that eighty-six dollars."

Jaden rolled the bag again and tied the string around the larger bundle before stuffing it back into the pole and putting everything in its place.

Just one more day- or night- and then it was over. She'd get to lord it over him, he'd loose that damn smirk, most likely get mad and demand a recount but it wouldn't change the fact he'd lost the wager.

"Men…" Jaden sighed smiling with amusement.

**w**


	6. Day 3

**Day 3… **

**_Sunday…_**

Dean walked into **'****Hunters'** with Sam at his back. The brothers surveyed the interior, noticed a couple of faces worth keeping an eye on and headed to the bar where Jaden was busy showing off. Dean watched her mix a drink, the bottle flipping over her shoulder and her bright smile as she finished. The glass slid over to the drunk she was flirting with then he noticed the lacy top was _too_ lacy.

Jaden caught sight of the blond out of the corner of her eye and fumbled with the bottle she was setting down. She felt her face heat up with embarrassment and to cover it grabbed a beer from under the bar. She set it down in front of Dean with a smile on her face.

"Shouldn't you be hustling some fool out of his hard earned money?" Jaden quipped.

"It's still early." Dean replied pulling out his wallet to pay for his beer.

"Don't bother. I'll just take it out of my tips." Jaden winked leaning both arms on the bar top.

"That wouldn't be fair-." Dean protested though he slipped his wallet back in his pants.

"I've got plenty to spare." She quipped trying not to show her smirk and failing. "You missed a note." She said pushing away from the bar and heading to the opposite end where the happy drunks were cheering. Jaden looked over her shoulder satisfied with the frown on Dean's face. The frown turned into a scowl once he saw exactly what she was wearing and he didn't like the looks she was getting.

The black dress was all lace, which he'd assumed was just a top and considering it barely covered her ass he wouldn't be wrong.

"You boys lost?" the gravely voice drew their attention away from the brunette currently showing too much leg for Dean's liking.

"Passing through." Sam replied extending his hand to the older man.

"Sam, Dean." Hunter shook each hand. "Heard about John. I'm sorry…"

The brothers didn't reply and there was an awkward silence for a moment. Dean cleared his throat.

"How are things around here?" he asked with a meaningful look. Hunter took a breath and glanced around spotting a few hunters scattered about his bar.

"Quiet for the most part." He answered and noticed a couple of interested stares. He leaned forward, one hand wiping at the spotless counter. "You don't have many friends here, most still think you're to blame for the surge in demons. Bobby- even Ellen can't convince all of them of the truth."

"But we tried to stop it." Sam protested.

"Cant do much about what people will believe." Hunter replied with a shake of his head. Dean glared, his eyes shifted towards Jaden who blamed Sam for her dead friend. No matter what he said she stubbornly refused to believe him, the only progress was the fact she didn't actively try and kill his brother anymore. Dean tuned into the conversation when he heard Bobby's name mentioned. Hunter chuckled recounting an anecdote about the hunter from back in the day. Ten minutes later Hunter slapped his palm on the counter.

"Alright boys. Its time I got back to work. You say hello to Bobby for me." he chuckled and grabbed a box from under the bar. "Hey, J!"

Dean watched Jaden nod her head as Hunter headed to the back.

"How's about another beer, gorgeous?"

Dean frowned at the drunk but Jaden leaned her arms on the bar top and smiled.

"Lenny, you don't want a repeat of last night. The Boss was this close to tossing you out." She pinched her fingers together, her tone slightly teasing. Dean and Sam watched as Lenny grabbed her wrist in his meaty hand. Dean stood up and Sam grabbed his arm glancing around the bar when they heard Jaden laugh.

"What so funny?" Lenny demanded looking confused. He dropped her wrist and didn't notice as Jaden slowly straightened moving out of his reach.

"I got a joke text yesterday and I finally got the punch line." Jaden smiled playing the ditz and shrugged. "So, I'm going to make you one of my faves, Lenny. No beer for you mister." She slapped down a glass and ignored his protests as she prepared the drink. Dean raised an eyebrow seeing her pour it into the chilled glass. It went from a dark purple at the bottom of the glass to clear at the top. Had he not seen the clear glass he would've thought it was one of those tinted types of cups.

Sam couldn't help but think of Jo, remembered doing something similar to her only it wasn't him in control of his body, it had been the demon. Still, Sam compared the women, their reactions and the difference between them. He knew Jo had been frightened though she'd tried to hide it. The demon inside of him could sense it, enjoyed it… Jaden just laughed at the drunk. She didn't look at all frightened and it wasn't the first time because Dean had gotten punched for doing the same thing. What was the difference? Was it because Jo knew him, that something like that was out of character… Wouldn't it be scarier if you knew who was attacking you?

"What's this?" Lenny eyed the purple drink.

"This, is Perfect Love." Jaden replied partly amused with the old drunk.

"A whatsa?" Lenny frowned looking up at her. He wasn't going to drink that, not a girly drink and not in front of anyone he knew.

"What, I thought you were secure in your manliness, Lenny." Jaden frowned. "Big strapping stud like you balking at the sight of a fancy cocktail." She shook her head as he started to protest. "You didn't hear me complaining last night."

Those words could've been interpreted in many ways, of course Dean automatically headed in _that_ direction. Except Lenny was old-er.

_'Way old, too damn old for her.'_ Dean scowled eyeing the balding old man. The receding hairline was painfully obvious as were the tufts of hair sprouting from his ears. The old drunk clearly had a fondness for the booze. Tiny veins peppered his face giving the appearance of a healthy flush to his cheeks, from a distance. Up close you couldn't miss the bloodshot eyes or the stink of alcohol on the old man. It seeped from his very pores.

"I matched you shot for shot. 'Least you can do is try my Perfect Love." Jaden crossed her arms and waited. Lenny eyed the drink glancing at her and around the bar to see if any of the regulars were watching.

"Aint see where you put all that whiskey, you bein' so tiny." Lenny grumbled taking the small glass in a meaty hand.

"I work out so my metabolism is faster." Jaden replied knowing it was a load of shit. Had it been real whiskey in her shot glass she'd have been done after the third serving. Of course it helped when the bottle was full of apple juice. The difficulty was in getting them to buy _two_ bottles. One for her and one for them.

Lenny licked his lips savoring the drink and eyeing the glass in his hand. He liked it and she could tell but waiting for a compliment wasn't in her plans.

"I know you liked it." Jaden said.

"It wasn't whiskey." Lenny grumbled.

"It was better." Jaden laughed. "Boy you really know how to make a girl feel appreciated." She rolled her eyes and walked towards the Winchester's.

"Whiskey shots?" Dean scowled and for a second her smile faltered.

"Snoop much? You keep it up and you're bound to hear things you wont like." Jaden warned.

"What are you doing?" Dean demanded.

"Working." She replied easily. "And let me point out, I'm fully clothed." She smoothed the lace at her waist resting both hands on her hips, the dress which he'd already noticed.

"You call that clothes?" Dean demanded. "I can _see _through it!"

"You so can't!" Jaden replied knowing the underskirt was a little sheer but it was safe to wear in the dimly lit bar.

"It's practically a shirt!" Dean protested. "It's not even long enough to cover-."

"Hey! Quit looking at my ass, white boy." Jaden ordered. Beside them Sam stood up from his stool.

"Can I get another beer?" he asked drawing Jaden's glare. She huffed a breath and grabbed a cold beer which she slapped down on the top.

"That's 5."

Both noticed she didn't offer to pay for his beer but neither said anything and Sam handed over the bill. She headed to the register and frowned. Hunter was taking a little longer than usual in the back. Glancing at the end of the bar just inside the swinging door she saw there were four boxes full of empties. Boxes Hunter should've already come back for. With a grimace Jaden headed towards them scanning the table's closeby until she smiled.

"Jace!" she waved to get his attention over the noise. The guy was a medic; he rode in an ambulance most of the time and spent at least three hours at **'****Hunters'** almost everyday. He wasn't half bad; tall and athletic with dark brown hair just a little long. Piercing gray eyes and a ready smile, Jace met her at the end of the bar taking an empty stool.

"This is nicer than yesterdays vest and skirt." Jace commented with a once over. Jaden shrugged trying not to blush.

"Nice enough to do me a favor?" she asked instead.

"That would depend." It was easy, talking- or flirting because that's what they were doing and having fun.

"I've got limits, Jace." She looked him over noticing how the blue shirt darkened his eyes. "I might re-think them though…"

"Don't tease me." Jace chuckled.

"That's the fun part, cutie." She winked then straightened. "Watch the drunks for me, please? I have to take these to the back and get me some empty boxes." She tapped a shiny black nail on the boxes by her hip drawing his eyes to the stack.

"Only for a Slow Comfortable Screw." He grinned watching Jaden's lips twitch in amusement.

"Guess I could spare a sec." she headed towards the rack at her back and grabbed the Sloe Gin pulling an orange from under the bar. Dean watched her work glowering at the dark haired man at the end of the bar. A minute later Jaden poured out the contents into a short stumpy glass and set it in front of him.

"Mmm, can't say as I've had it this good before." Jace replied savoring the orange and gin.

"And you never will." Jaden replied. She hoisted the first box amused by Dean's continued glower. There was no way Jace hadn't noticed the green eyed glare but to his credit Jaden saw he ignored the blond.

"I'll have to bring you a Strega Sour to match your mood, blondie." She blew Dean a kiss just for kicks and headed to the back.

The rowdy voices faded as she turned down the hall and headed into the closet sized room stacked with empties. She dropped the box beside the back door and reached for an empty one when she heard the muffled shout. Jaden tensed, listened intently and recognized the sounds of a struggle. Hunter's voice rose but she couldn't make out the words. Jaden shoved the back door open and skipped down the steps not stopping when she saw the burly man struggling with a waif in dark clothing. To her left were three aluminum trash cans neatly lined up, Jaden grabbed the top and flung it like it was a Frisbee. Both men reeled from the impact as it hit the waif squarely in the back. The black clothed attacker tossed Hunter aside as if he weighed no more than a feather. Jaden heard him crash into the pallets on the opposite side of the back door but she was frozen to her spot.

It was déjà vu, she almost blamed it on her dream from before but she could feel the cool bite of the night air on her bare skin. She couldn't deny what stood in that alley behind **'****Hunters'**. The ridged forehead and slitted eyes were familiar in a way that made her uncomfortable but the color was all wrong…

It grinned baring fangs dripping bright red, a match to the bloody lips…

"Fresh meat." It stalked towards her and still Jaden didn't move. She was having trouble believing it because that meant Dean wasn't lying to her. He wasn't lying-.

"Get inside!" Hunter yelled jumping onto the skinny vampire and pounding his fist into the already dead things head. Jaden moved, grabbed another lid and hurried as it flung Hunter off once more. She swung the lid grunting with the effort and heard the 'twong' as it connected. The lid vibrated in her hands but she didn't let go and brought it around again.

"Dammit!" Hunter came up with a 2x4 and swung at the vampire. "Get inside, kid!"

"You're bleeding." Jaden snapped slamming the lid into the vampire again. "You get inside."

"This is dangerous, J." Hunter swung again like he was Tommy Lazorda in his better days. The vampire went down and Hunter kept whacking him with his stick.

"No shit." Jaden retorted and looked for something sharp because they'd have to take its head. That's how you killed a vampire; you put it down with Dead Man's blood and then chopped off its head. But they had no Dead Man's blood and the dagger in her boot wasn't long enough to lop its head off.

"This is my job. Now let me do it and get inside-."

"Ooh, another one."

Jaden whirled around, saw the flash of light in the glassy eyes and flung the lid with all her strength. She didn't wait for her brain to catch up and process what was happening behind **'****Hunters'.** That would only add to their advantage. Still, Jaden didn't know what made her run at the vampire, her body just moved into action. She pushed off the ground, stretched her leg out and arched her back throwing both hands over her head. There was a solid 'thunk' then her hands touched the moist cement. She felt it, the kick and then her feet were back on the ground and Jaden swung her arm out. The back of her fist connected with the side of its head. The vampire hissed drawing back getting a little help from Jaden's foot in its chest. She brought the dagger out of her boot slashing at the vampire and knowing this was one fight she couldn't possibly win.

_'Its going to bleed me dry.'_ Jaden thought. Fear coursed through her but she refused to make it easy. She was going to keep fighting, make it work for the meal-.

"Jaden!" Hunter called to her seeing the vampire grab her knife hand and yank her around. He ducked the clawed swipe at his head and shoved his 2x4 at the vampire. The sharp point went into its chest and suddenly Hunter was coughing ash out of his face. "What the hell…"

"Aah!" Jaden didn't have time to be afraid, she couldn't. Her arm came up, fingers grabbing at the face. The vampire dodged the first strike but the second time her elbow hit its mark. With a snarling growl the vamp pulled away. Jaden turned, cold hands grabbed at her arm, it pulled using her momentum to slam her face first into the metal trash bin. She felt the sound reverberate through her body, the metal bang echoing in her head. She was weightless for a second maybe longer and then she found herself caught in a strong grip. The arm around her waist pressed down like a metal vice. A cold hand, long fingernails stretching out reaching past her face grabbed her hair and yanked her head aside. Jaden felt the burning sensation of sharp fangs piercing her skin.

She wanted to scream but the sound died in her throat. The cold hand- fingers slid lower and gripped her throat. She felt the nails cut into her skin but it was nothing compared to the pain washing through her shoulder and neck.

_She was suffocating. His hand pulled on her hair, reaching for her neck. She could feel his fingers slide around her throat, He pulled her head back so that he could bite deeper and at that moment she felt's… It wasn't easy to describe, she had nothing to reference the event to because there couldn't possibly be anyone who knew what it was to be bitten by a vampire. How could she describe having the lifeblood sucked out of her body while she lay there completely useless? _

Jaden grabbed at the hand on her neck she tried to pull tried to break free but it was stronger. She felt herself weakening, heat coursed through her the world was fading, the soft whisper around her, inside…

_Her body felt…numb though it was hot, as if she had little sparks of electricity shooting all over her skin. She felt sleepy, her body didn't respond-didn't do what her brain was ordering it to do. Her mind was fuzzy, existing in a dreamy sort of connection with the vampire. Yes, that would sound corny had she said it out loud but it was true. She felt connected to him, could almost see through his eyes, feel what he felt-. It was confusing the where and who she was at that moment. She felt- no, she needed to bite down harder, to get more- the taste… _

_So warm, heart beating, chest rising with each breath, body soft and pliant…_

_"Angel…." _

Dean fired, shocked by the bumpy ridged face and the long fangs, yellowed eyes… He knew what they were. Vampires. Just like the ones from Los Angeles, the ones Jaden had ashed, watched it float around her like a halo…

Bullets were useless, it didn't hurt them and Dead Man's blood- well, he didn't have any and there was no way he could find some, not this soon. So Dean fired. What else was there to do?

The vampire stumbled, hissed, angry and probably hurt.

His gun clicked empty and Dean looked around, scrambling for something to use as a weapon, anything that would kill it. Jaden's voice echoed in his head.

_"I told you to aim for the heart, Dean!"_

He remembered using the ax as well, chopping their heads off also worked but he didn't have an ax. By the door there was a pile of broken pallets. Dean hurried over, stomped a heavy boot into the pile splintering them further until he had a nice piece of wood.

"Dean!" Sam warned. Turning, Dean held the stake just as the vampire rushed at him. He slapped the hand out of his way and came back with a punch. The vampire recoiled and Dean rammed the stake into its chest hoping this one would ash like the one before.

Sam looked on dumbfounded as the vampire burst leaving his brother surrounded by burning embers and ash.

Behind them the vampire recoiled and gagged, coughing up and trying to spit out her blood. Dean saw the vampire pull away from Jaden, watched as it clutched its throat trying to spit and wiping at its mouth. The yellow eyes glared at all of them; Sam, Dean and Jaden laid out by the trash bin. It wiped at its face snarling at her.

Hunter stepped out of the bar, shotgun in hand. The blast deafened the Winchester's; it echoed in the alley and knocked the vampire onto its back where it combusted leaving a pile of ash.

Dean rushed to Jaden's side, boots skidding across the water collected in a pool and dropped to his knee.

Jaden was only half aware of them, of what was happening behind HUNTERS.

Her skin was warm as Dean gently cupped her head exposing the punctures in the curve between her shoulder and neck. Blood slowly oozed from the jagged cuts the vampire had made of the punctures.

"Jaden?" Dean smoothed hair out of her face leaving a red smear on her cheek.

"Mm fine." She mumbled trying to sit up, her eyes were unfocused.

"Get her inside." Hunter ordered swabbing at his own neck "I'll get Jace…" explaining this to the medic was going to be difficult and what he had to say… well, it hadn't sounded half so convincing coming from the little brunette.

**w**

It was a recent development in the supernatural community. He'd heard of it from a couple other hunters passing through. There were more vampires. They were popping up everywhere all of a sudden and they weren't allergic to Dead Man's blood. The one good thing about the new vampires was that they had a deadly allergy to the sun and silver. They hated crosses and holy water was like acid. Those vampires you couldn't kill with bullets, not unless they were made of silver but a wooden stake in the heart or if you chopped off their head? Those options left a pile of dust floating in their wake. How the hunters knew that was the _other_ strange development.

"A girl?" Sam said with disbelief coloring every word and on his face.

Hunter nodded knowing it didn't sound any more convincing coming from him than it had from the little brunette that warned him not to invite anyone inside his home. If he did she'd likely have to stake him one day.

"Sounds kinky." Dean grinned. "You get a number?"

"Said she was the Slayer." Hunter replied ignoring Dean's comment. "Had three other girls with her, younger. Neither looked old enough to be drinking."

"Like the band?" Dean asked getting an exasperated eye roll from Sam.

"I'm pretty sure she has a name, Dean."

"Heard one of the girls call her 'Vala'. Didn't seem to like it any better than 'ma'am'." Hunter observed remembering the annoyance on the young woman's face.

"Vala." Dean repeated trying out the name.

"The Slayer." Sam frowned, thinking back to what Phade had said in Los Angeles. Hadn't she told them there was a Slayer in Sunnydale? What was her name- had she died again?

**w**


	7. Tell Me

**Tell Me...**

**_Los Angeles, 1994…_**

_The late afternoon sun shone through the kitchen window. The sounds of running water and dishes were punctuated by grumbled mumblings and gleeful laughter. She smiled to herself and continued packing the remains of dinner. Her hands moved deftly, setting the food in the ice chest, a thermos of hot coffee sat on the counter. More laughter and then a yelp._

_Evangelina sighed but didn't really mind her children's so called 'bickering'._

_"No soy vieja." Guy stated. Evangelina stifled her laugh seeing her baby boy stand, hands on his waist glaring at his sister and wearing the flower printed apron with frills._

_"Uh-huh." Phade giggled again._

_"Dejalo en paz." Evangelina ordered with a serious look._

_"Yeah, quit bugging me." Guy echoed feeling more confident now that their Mother was on his side._

_"But you do look pretty." Phade teased. "All's you're missing is the pink bow and some trencitas." She ruffles his silky hair and got her hand smacked for her trouble._

_"Ma!" Phade whined holding her 'injured' hand and frowning._

_"Te dije que lo dejez en paz." __Evangelina repeated. She couldn't deny her children were a handful but most of the time they entertained her. She decided it would be better to separate them before they _really_ started fighting. "Es mas, tu me vas a llevar."_

_"What? Why-!" Guy protested but quieted down at his Mother's serious look._

_"Y tu, terminas esos trastes."_

_Guy huffed, glanced at his sister who was grinning and somehow had managed to get out of dish duty._

_"Yeah, don't leave any food on the plates or grease on the cups." Phade added as she followed her Mother out of the kitchen._

_"Bien lavados, Guy." Evangelina called over her shoulder hearing the jingle of car keys in Phade's hand. She sighed knowing her daughter was taunting her little brother…._

**w**

Dean watched TV, his eyes occasionally straying to the unconscious woman lying at his side. Reassured by the steady rise and fall of her chest he turned back to the TV. His mind wandered brought up questions, doubts… he shied away from the deal. He tried not to think about it, to think too much on the things he wanted because there wasn't any point to it now.

Again his eyes strayed to her though he quickly looked away, frowning at the TV.

How wrong was it?

Phade belonged with Ryan. She'd chosen him, more than likely the kid was theirs…

Dean had avoided thinking about that, the fact she had a husband and child.

He'd stopped trying to figure out how she'd ended up without any memory of their brief stay in Los Angeles. Now that she wasn't- or rather she hadn't- tried to kill them, Dean was ok with not bringing it up again. In all honesty he didn't want her to remember because if she didn't believe them all his insistence would leave her with doubts. She would question whether they weren't lying to her and what if she went looking for answers? What if she found the same articles he'd pulled up from the net?

Dean looked at her again, wondered if she hadn't already been snooping around, doing her own searches… If he wanted to find out he'd have to bring up the subject. In doing that he'd have to reveal a little more, tell her more than he'd already managed to get out and maybe she'd hear something that would confirm he was telling the truth… Did she want to know?

He latched onto that hope, that maybe Jaden was doing the same thing he was doing, ignoring and denying. Maybe she didn't want to know about her past…

Sam had brought up another point. A point that supported Dean's original theory that her 'amnesia' was of the mystical variety. What it didn't explain was _everyone else's _memory of Jaden.

It was fact she'd met their Dad, after all it had been John who took her home. Then there was Pastor Jim who couldn't _exactly_ recall when it was Jaden had first called him for help but had on occasion taken her in. The problem with that was the Winchester's _knew_ Jaden had been living in Los Angeles. She'd been working for the souled vampire and she couldn't have been in two places at once. And why wouldn't Pastor Jim have mentioned knowing her, even in passing or in regards to a hunt? The least he could've done was pass on the knowledge of the Devil's Trap.

And how the hell did a little old lady with that kind of knowledge go un-noticed by a hunter? Even if she did live down south and far from the US border. Someone had to have found her and the granddaughter she apparently instructed…

So maybe… maybe those memories were real? Jaden could've grown up like them. How likely was it though? Then again, she'd been calm and collected on her hunt. She'd dusted the vampires, stomped and hacked the evil little slugs, disemboweled those demon mutts and extracted information from the pustuly demon.

_'But she panics over a possessed man?'_ Dean wondered but in her defense the demon had sucked out the old witch's life from her body. Those black slimy tentacle things had been pulsing- Dean shuddered, tried to distract himself by focusing on the movie only that had finished a while ago. Dean watched the infomercial and the perky blond listing the benefits of the product, which was?

A cream. What else.

Sam still hadn't said much, not since their last blow up.

The list.

It always came back to the names on the list, the people- a few he barely recalled meeting- friends of his Mom's. All of them dead and why did Jaden use Aldama? Was there a connection or just coincidence? It wasn't a very common last name…

Frustrated, he clicked the remote dousing the room in darkness. He made himself comfortable next to her and tried to sleep.

**_Los Angeles_****_, 1994…_**

_Running. She hadn't always hated it, not when they were little and played tag. It was fun when you were chasing someone, when you were just kids playing…_

_She'd never been a runner, not after they got too old to play those games. Running was Luis's sport. He and Guy did that almost every morning barring natural disasters. She thought they were nuts, told them it wasn't normal and threatened them with physical pain and embarrassment after their ungodly attempt to get her up before the sun came up. And why? To ask if she wanted to go running with them._

_No. Phade did not like running, avoided participating in any sport that required her to run preferring to dance- anything with music was better than running. Phade could still run if she _had_ too, had no problem keeping pace with her brothers so long as they didn't decide to race because she'd never beat either of them._

_Their Dad always said she just needed the right motivation, something to get her moving just a little faster; burning coals under her feet had been Guy's suggestion._

'He was wrong.'_ Phade thought as her legs carried her further into the half built housing complex. It was her Dad's turn to keep watch over that week. The company was loosing money and materials to thieves that came in night and stole what they could find. Wood, sacks of cement, copper wire or pipes- anything they could sell. Her Dad knew there wasn't much to take but what there was they needed to get the job done. He was the over seer, he was in charge and so it fell on him to make sure the job was finished on time._

_It was why Franco Vartan was sleeping at 'the office' instead of in his warm bed next to his wife. It was why Evangelina had Phade drive them out to the site to drop off his dinner. It was why she found herself running._

_Phade cut through two of the house frames, slipped between the beams that outlined the floor plan and raced through the soft dirt. Dirt the landscapers would fill with grass and flowers once her Dad's part was done. _

_There was no moon, something she wouldn't have noticed or cared about but was a godsend that night. Phade sucked in another breath, expelled it almost immediately and took another but had nothing left with which to yell for help. She _needed_ to scream, needed to call her for help, to warn her Dad…_

_Fear kept her running through the stitch in her side, past the burning in her legs and the suffocating feeling gripping her chest. Fear had kept her frozen in place while her Mother gasped her last breath, a cry for God to help her…_

_Tears blinded Phade but she was heading in the right direction, straight to her Dad, to safety. Because he would make it alright again. That's what he did, what a Father did._

'You're fooling yourself.'

_Phade knew it was true but she couldn't let herself think about 'it'._

_The man who stood over Evangelina's corpse._

_The man with yellow eyes._

_"Dad!" Phade gasped. Her feet pounded up the metal steps causing the trailer to sway. She banged on the door glancing over her shoulder, afraid _he_ would be there. "Open the door! Let me in! Apa! Let me in! Abra la puerta!" she yelled switching from one language to another without noticing. It was one of her Dad's pet peeves, something he always complained about._

_Phade pushed on the door, kicked it as she sobbed and then it opened. She fell into her Father's arms and tried to tell him, tried to explain… He was asking her, holding her shoulders and asking what was wrong._

_"Mom…" Phade sobbed and realized the door was open._

_"__Que tiene tu Mamá?"__ Franco demanded. "__Por que lloras__?" He tried not to let the panic rising in his chest over power him, tried not to think of what might have happened to his wife, he tried not to think of Luciana… Phade pulled out of his grip and whirled around. The door slammed shut with Phade resting against it, as if her presence would keep it shut against the demon. _

_"Phade!" he scowled, once more tried to pull her from the door but she refused to move. Again, Franco looked at the door, wondered where his wife was, why she wasn't with Phade…_

_"Mamí…" Phade sucked in a harsh breath because saying it would make the nightmare real. There would be no more hoping she was imagining things, that her Dad could fix this. However much she wished he could make things right again, Franco Vartan just wasn't God._

'For all the good that does us.'

_Her lack of faith wasn't new to her family and her parents didn't accept it. They forced her into church every Sunday, put her in catechism classes with Guy and paraded her along with the other sheep up to the altar to repeat her prayers and answer the questions the Priest asked. _

_They all ignored her repeated protests, said she couldn't have seen a man with yellow eyes because _real_ people didn't have yellow eyes. They got mad and told her to stop lying. She got smacked for saying anything about Aunt Luc and the 'accident'. And all she heard people say, heard them repeat to her Dad was; "These things happen for a reason…"_

_The hollow words repeated by everyone, what they fell back on when their fucked up lives took a wrong turn and they found themselves asking why. That platitude people offered up in comfort when there wasn't an explanation that could make sense of such tragedies._

_"Donde esta!" her Dad yelled. __Phade could hear the strain in his voice, the way he looked at her like he already knew but wanted her to say it wasn't real._

_Wasn't he supposed to say that to her? Wasn't it his responsibility as a parent to comfort _her_?_

_She shook her head, the words stuck in her throat as more tears ran down her face. _

_The look in her Mother's eyes… She'd been scared- an echo of Aunt Luc…_

_"__Que le paso__!" Franco yelled. "__Contestame__!" He grabbed her shoulders roughly, pulling her away from the door and demanded answers but what could she say? What would they believe?_

**w**

Jaden started awake. She threw her arms out still feeling her Father shaking her and yelling, felt him pulling her down again when she tried to push him away…

"You were dreaming. Jaden." Dean repeated drawing her face around to his. "It was just a dream." He murmured seeing her eyes focus on him. He kept his arm around her, tried to soothe the nightmare away by whispering to her. He used the same tone he'd used on Sammy when they were younger. He tried to look in her eyes but Jaden pushed his arm away, pulled herself out of his arms and sat up.

Whatever shed been dreaming, whoever she'd been fighting with, it left her feeling anxious, jumpy… She winced, her hand moved to the gauze at her neck but instead of touching the bite she flipped her hair over her shoulder. Beside her, Dean sat up, one hand resting on the covers by her knee. Jaden closed her eyes and willed herself not to give in, not to drop her guard, not to fall in his arms and let him hold her, offer her a moment of peace, a moment away from the world and all its fucked up problems.

Again, she saw their faces. She saw the fear in their eyes… they'd tried to speak, tried to say… something… some warning… last words of caution…

"It was real."

Dean heard her whisper, heard her words and frowned because there was no mistake as to what she meant. He just didn't know what had been torturing her in her sleep.

Jaden went against her better judgment, ignored the little voice in her head telling her she needed to keep quiet, needed to forget the memories she'd tried to keep buried and just go on as she had been doing.

Hunting.

Jaden began with a truth she'd hidden from the few people she considered friends. No one outside of her family knew why…

"A demon killed my Mom."

Dean stiffened.

"Right before senior year…" she dropped her eyes to the coverlet. "Everything just fell apart. My Dad…" the sting of tears burned in her throat. She focused on the geometric pattern in front of her, saw the stray threads and pulled on them.

"How do you know?" Dean asked. His voice sounded harsh and he made the effort to soften his tone. "You saw it? The demon?" he leaned closer, his hand sliding up her arm but she didn't seem to notice.

"That smell." Jaden made a face, her nose scrunching at the memory. "It was all around, the stench from hell..." Her fingers pulled on the thread tearing a large piece off until she had the coverlet coming apart. "Sulfur." She clasped her hands together ignoring Dean's hand as it fell away from hers. "I told my Dad." The words just came out, too easily, too trusting... "Just like I told him about Aunt Luc." Anger filled her remembering them, remembering their reactions… "You know what he said?" she asked finally looking at him. "What they all said?" she glared at him, her brown eyes bright in the dark room. It seemed as if Jaden was blaming him along with those others. "They said I was traumatized." She scoffed with disgust. "You believe that? Me. Traumatized." She ground out and fixed her eyes on the mirror across the room. "Because a demon tore a hole in my Mom's chest while I hid in a fucking corner. Because I hid where she told me instead of getting help. Because I was too scared to do a damn thing-!" she vibrated with anger, bit her lip so the words would stop. Dean could see her knuckles were white. He took her hand hoping she didn't stop talking. He was finally getting some answers, some of her past but what this had to do with her 'amnesia' he still didn't know. What he was beginning to realize was that her Mother was on Sam's list. Just like her Aunt was one of those names but he still didn't know how they were connected.

"I was scared…" Jaden whispered. She let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders drooped. Jaden raised her free hand and pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes closed to get rid of the tears threatening to spill over. "John warned me."

"What?" Dean frowned.

_"People don't always believe kids." _Jaden could almost hear the raspy soothing voice of Johnwhisper in her head._ "They don't know what's out there; have never come up against something like tonight. It's easier to pretend they're all stories."_ He'd been… nice, had tried to comfort her when everyone else was telling her she was crazy. John had reassured her in a way that made her feel less alone, not so much a crazy person like her family was saying. "_Truth is, fiction is based on fact." _

For months after, Jaden had wondered if it wouldn't have been better to be raised by a family who knew the truth. To have a Father that would understand and believe…

"He said it was easier to pretend you didn't really see the ghost or ghoul or whatever supernatural thing that crossed your path. He said people avoided those kinds of truths." A flash of anger passed over her features. "They'd never believe me…" Again, she hid her face from him so he couldn't see how that hurt. To know the one person who was supposed to love her, the one person she was supposed to trust, to have her best interest at heart… her Dad would never believe.

"You didn't believe me." Dean said. "When I told you we hunted ghosts."

"Again…" Jaden sighed tiredly and shook her head, tried to keep the fight in the alley from bringing up that hallucination-.

"No, not again Jaden." He wasn't going to let her brush this away. "I've been trying to tell you-."

"Ok." Jaden cut in softly. She scooted back against the head board and rested her hands in her lap. It was a simple 'Ok' but what he had to say wasn't so easy. Dean hesitated, did he dare?

If he told her _everything_ she'd most likely not believe him. So the question was, did he really want to lie? Was that how he'd win her? Because she'd chosen. She'd made her life in Los Angeles, with her family…

_'She belongs with them… It's where she should be.'_ Knowing it didn't make the ache he felt any easier to bear. He was dead in a couple of months anyway… he was going to hell… so why hide the truth from her?

"Ok." He sat straight, once more put up his walls, readied himself to pretend he didn't care one way or another, to fake indifference… "You've got people in Los Angeles. Family." He couldn't help the slight hint of disapproval coloring his words. Jaden noticed, she rolled her eyes but otherwise said nothing. She knew her brothers, sisters and Father were there. Just like she knew what they thought about her and her choices. They'd voiced their opinions plenty before she'd left Los Angeles for good. So what did this perfect stranger know about her life in LA.

_'He doesn't know shit. That's what he doesn't know. Nothing _I _don't already know.'_

So Jaden kept her mouth shut and listened stubbornly refusing to think about the hallucination in the alley.

"We walked into the Hyperion to get a room. Sam's idea." Dean barely smiled. She'd held them at sword point and had almost given his little brother another smile. "You told us it wasn't that kind of hotel, pretty much kicked us out."

"Let me guess," Jaden interrupted dryly. "You didn't leave."

"You gave us a room." He smiled. Jaden crossed her arms but he wasn't going to tell her about his busted shower or the cold bath she'd knowingly let him get into. _That_ she didn't need to be reminded of.

"Right." She said. "Only I don't remember that. Or helping you. I never took your brother to see some purple skinned demon-." And how the hell did she know about that?

_'Tinga.'_ Her face paled.

_She turned and saw Tinga framed in the rounded arch. She smiled at him once again admiring the flowing waves of violet hair that framed his aquiline features. He had two thin braids threaded with a thin silver chain on either side of his face and Phade could see a silver hoop in his ear. If she hadn't touched those beautiful eyes Phade would still think he lined them with kohl. But the gray cat like eyes framed by dark violet lashes looked smokier than ever. Phade was envious._

_Tinga's allure was difficult to resist but not impossible even for humans. He never took advantage of you in this weakened state unless of course you __really wanted him too. The demons from his home all had this extra pheromone that was constantly active; it was like being in heat 24/7 when you were exposed to them…_

"And I'm definitely not some Amazon woman with special powers fighting some mystical war in another plane or dimension." She glared pushing the hazy picture out of her mind. Jaden felt the heat flush her face and ignored that as well. "This is all a big fairy tale you made up and I'm not sure why but its all because of _him_." Jaden jabbed an angry finger towards the opposite wall, where Dean knew Sam was probably awake. She was going to blame all the cooky-weird stuff on the evil Winchester.

_'No way in _hell_ is any of this real.'_

"I'm not making anything up, J." but it was useless to argue the point with her, not when she was stubbornly refusing to listen to him. He'd told her some of the truth or tired to and again she called him a liar. He was getting tired of that, of insisting she listen to him. So why not let the matter drop? There would be another chance, another opportunity to try and convince her they weren't lying, that Sam wasn't evil…

"What was her name?"

Jaden looked confused for a second then realized who Dean was asking about. She dropped her arms and pulled her knees up to her chest.

Curiosity, its what killed the cat though whose no one knew for sure. Dean wasn't a cat but he was going to hell in a couple of months so what did he care if curiosity got him first?

_'I'm already dead.'_ His guts knotted in protest. _'Get used to it. You know there's no way out of this. Not this time.'_ There was nothing anyone could do and he was going to remind himself of that whenever he felt the panic rise up to choke him, when Sam started up with another one of his plans and they got their hopes up.

Jaden dropped her head onto her knees; her fingers found the edge of her dress and plucked at the black lace.

"Evangelina Aldama." She spoke softly; barely a whisper and Dean had to lean closer to hear. "That was my Mom's name."

The silence lengthened and then Dean slowly wrapped his arms around her. Jaden didn't resist, instead she rested her head on his shoulder then buried her face in his chest with a little shudder.

_"You're scared Buffy. You're afraid you'll get your heart broken or loose another loved one so you pull away from friends, family, lovers…"_

The whisper of words in her head was true for herself and whoever this Buffy girl was… Jaden hoped one of them got the happily ever after.

**w**

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**_AN: So here ends the bet and I'm not saying who won. lol. But now you know she has a reason for hunting and in PENANCE you find out more. So go on and read if you like and if you don't well that's tough cookies.  
_**

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